The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-12-07
ives when the farmer 6uda II necessary
0 nurchaaa Hoolan pooda and mAtarial 10

to purchase WOODEN goods and material L
clothe himself and family Tor tho winter
When he faces the tradesnan for thai
purpose he diacoverg that he 10 Obliged
not only to return In the way Of increased
prices, bis tariff profit on the wool he sold
and which then perhaps lies before hin
In manufactured form, but that he mus
add considerable sum thereto to meet Q
further increase In coat caused by tariff
duty on the manufacture. Thus In the
end he 10 arouaed to the fact that he has
paid upon d moderate purchase, as q 70.
suit Of the tariff scheme, which, when he
sold his wool seemed 90 profitable, an
increase In price more than sufficient to
sweep away all the tariff profit hs received
upon the wool he produced and sold.
When the number oil farmers engaged
In wooLraising Is compared with oil the
farmers In the country, and the small
proportion they bear to our population is
conaldered; when 1t Is made apparent
that, In tho case OF q large part OF those
who own sheep, tho benefit Of tho present
tariff on wool ia illuSory and above all,
when u muat be conceded tina. tho In.
cresss OF tho coat OF living caused by such
tariH, becomes burden upon those with
moderate means and the poor, the em.
plovod and unemployed, the sick and
we'll, and tho young and old, and that II
constitutes Il tax which, with relentless
grasp, Ia fastened upon tho clothing Of
every man, woman and child in the land,
REASONS are suggested why the removal OF
reduction OF this duty should be included
In revision Of our tariGlsws.
I
TIE QUESTION OF COMPETITION.
In speaking OF the increased cost to the
consumer Of our homo manufacturing, re.
sulting from duty laid upon imported
articles Of the same description, tho fac! 10
not overlooked tina. com petition among
our domestic producers sometimes has tho
effect oil keeping the price oil their products
below the highest limit allowed by such
duty. But 1t 10 notorious tina. this compe.
tltlon IL too often atranged by comhina.
ttonH quite prevalent at this time, aud fro.
quently called trusts, which have for their
object the regulation Of the oupply and
price Of commoditiee made and sold by
members OF the combination. The people
can hardly hope for any consideration In
the operation Of these selti,h schooner.
II, however, in the absence OF such com.
bination a healthy and iree competition
reduces the price OF any particular dutia.
BILE article Of home production, below the
limit which 1t might otherwise reach un-
der our tariff laws, and If, with such re-
duced price its manufacture continued to
thrive. 1t is entirely evident that one thing
has baen discovered which should be-
csrelu!ly scrutinizsd In an effort to reduce
taxation.
The necessity OF combination to main.
tain the price Of any commodity to the
tarid point, furnishes proof that some one
is Cillins to accept lower prices for such
c,mmodlty, and that such prices are re-
mune1ativs; and lower prices produced by
competition provo tho same thing. Thus,
where either Of those conditions exiets q
case would seem to bs preaented for an
easy reduction Of taxation.
,pH REDUCE THE TARIFF.
The considerations which have been
presented touching our tariff laws arc in
tended only to enforce an earnest recon-
mendation that The rurplus revenues Of
the Government be prevented by tho re-
ductlon OF our customs duties, and at the
aame time to emphasize q suggestion lat
in accomplishing this purpose We NAV
discharge q double duty to our people by
granting to them measure OF relief from
tariff taxation in quarters whero it is mos,
| headed and from sources where it can be
most fsirly and juotly accorded. Nor can
| the presentation made Of such considera-
tons be, with any degrees OF fairness, TO-
garded as evidencs Of unfriendIinsss to-
yard our manufacturing interests, or of
any lack Of appreciation Of taeir vslus
and Importance.
Thepa Interests constitute leaJinc and
moet au5stsa,ial element OF our national
grestneas und furnish the proud proof OF
Of cur country's progress. Bu. ii in the
emergency that presses upon US our man
ufactslrers are asked to surrender come.
thing Tor the puolic good and to avert dig.
asle!, their patriotism, az we'll as crate.
full recognition Of advantages already
Afforded should lead them to willing co.
operation. No demand Is made that they
ahsll forego all tho bsne6.s OF Govern.
uensa! regard but they cannot fail to be
sdmoniahed OF their duty, as we'll as their
enlightened eelf.in'erest and eslsty,
when they are reminded OF the fact that
financial panic and collapse, to which the
present condition tends, afford no greater
shelter or protection to our manufactures
thsn TO our other important enterprises.
Opportunity for safe, careful and deliber.
crate reform 10 nov offered; and nouo OF
un should be unmindful of time when an
abused and irrita,od people, needless Of
thoss who have reaisted timely and rea.
sonsbls relief, may insist upon radical
and sweeping rectidcation Of their wrongs,
DirrlcuLTIE, IN TIE WAY,
The difficulty attending wise snd
lair revision OF our tariff lave in not under
Estimated. It will require on the part Of
tho Congress great labor and care, and es-
peclaly broad End national contempla.
ton Of the subject, and q patriotic disre-
gard ofsuch local and selfish claims az arc
unreasonable and reckless OF the welfare
Of tho entire country. Under our present
laws moro than four thousand articles are
subj scs to duty. Many of these do not in
any way compete with our own manufsc-
turca, and many orc hardly worth stten-
ton as outj.cts Of revenue. A considera-
BILE reduction can BIZ made in the apvre.
gate, by adding them to tho free list, The
taxation Of lu1uries presents no features
Of hardahip; but the necesssties OF lile
used and consumed by all the people. the
duty upon which edds to the cost OF living
in every home, should DO greatly cheap.
ened.
The radical reduction Of the duties i'm.
posed upon raw material used in manu-.
lacturoB,or its ires importation, is OF courae
an important factor in any etort to reduce
the prics of these necesaaries; it would
not only relieve them from the increased
coat Caused by the tariff on ouch material,
but the manufactured products being thus
cheapened, that pa!t Of the tariff nov laid
upon such product as q compensation to
our manufacturers for the present price Of
raw material could be- accordingly modi.
fed. Such reduction, or free importation.
would serve beside to largely reduce the
revenue. #8 - @5t.... ..I0lI
MANUFACTURES lEEHrlrED,